At Trauma Informed Law, we recognise that human responses to pressure, challenge and adversity are deeply personal. Labels like stress, distress, overwhelm and trauma can be useful in describing different experiences, but they don’t always capture the full picture of what someone is going through. Rather than focusing on definitions, we are more interested in how an experience is affecting someone - physically, emotionally and cognitively - and what might help.

In the legal profession, where high-stakes cases and demanding work environments are the norm, maintaining a sense of autonomy becomes essential. From a trauma-informed perspective, autonomy isn't just about professional freedom — it’s a vital aspect of emotional well-being and sustainable practice.

The word "trauma" is often misunderstood and underestimated in its complexity. Trauma doesn’t have a singular definition, as it can mean different things to different people. Trauma can result from a wide range of experiences, whether they be singular catastrophic events or a series of ongoing challenges. In some cases, trauma may not be tied to a specific event but instead to an environment or relational situation that overwhelms an individual. Vicarious trauma, for instance, affects professionals who are repeatedly exposed to the trauma of others, such as those working within the legal system